父母婚姻质量与儿童内化问题:父母情绪表达的中介作用与儿童迷走神经活动的调节作用

基于家庭系统理论与个体-环境交互理论,研究考察了父母情绪表达在父母婚姻质量与儿童内化问题关系中的中介作用,以及儿童迷走神经活动的调节作用。研究选取155名6~7岁小学儿童为被试,运用便携式生理多道记录仪采集儿童静息与任务状态下的心电（ECG）与呼吸率,换算出基线RSA与RSA反应作为迷走神经活动的指标,采用母亲报告的《婚姻质量问卷》、《家庭情绪表达问卷》和《儿童行为量表》测评父母婚姻质量、父母情绪表达及儿童内化问题。结果发现：（1）父母婚姻质量负向预测小学儿童内化问题;（2）父母消极、积极情绪表达在父母婚姻质量与小学儿童内化问题关系中起中介作用;（3）小学儿童迷走神经张力（基线RSA）调节父母消极情绪表达与儿童内化问题关系。研究结果表明父母婚姻质量不仅直接影响儿童内化问题,同时会通过父母情绪表达间接地影响儿童内化问题。另外,较高迷走神经张力能够缓冲父母消极情绪表达对儿童内化问题的影响。     

情绪和社会行为的迷走神经活动基础

Porges基于自主神经进化观点提出的多迷走神经理论, 区分了无髓鞘迷走神经与髓鞘迷走神经的不同功能。认为对心脏等起调控作用的髓鞘迷走神经, 经由进化逐渐与调控头面部肌肉的脑神经之间产生了神经上的联系, 成为情绪和社会行为的神经基础。已有的相关实证研究表明, 髓鞘迷走神经与个体的情绪表达与调节、社会行为以及情绪与社会行为障碍密切相关。较低的迷走神经张力、较低的迷走抑制与较低的情绪调节能力相关; 迷走抑制较高的学前儿童有较少的行为问题以及较好的社交技能; 焦虑障碍的个体表现出较低的基线迷走张力以及较低的迷走抑制水平等。多迷走神经理论及其实证研究的结果, 对于推动情绪和社会行为的自主神经基础研究具有重要的意义。     

留守学前儿童接受性语言能力与社会退缩的关系:有调节的中介模型

为探讨留守学前儿童接受性语言能力与社会退缩的关系及其内部机制,采用教师评定问卷和测量法对484名留守学前儿童进行调查。结果表明：（1）接受性语言能力不仅对社会退缩具有显著负向预测作用,也能通过执行功能的中介作用负向预测社会退缩;（2）执行功能的中介作用受到师幼关系的调节,相对于高师幼关系水平的个体,间接效应在低师幼关系水平的个体中更为显著,具体而言,师幼关系调节了中介的后半路径;（3）此外,在高师幼关系水平的个体中,执行功能对社会退缩的负向预测作用以及执行功能在接受性语言能力与社会退缩之间的中介作用都不显著。研究结果有助于揭示接受性语言能力对社会退缩的影响及其内在作用机制,对留守学前儿童社会退缩的预防及干预具有一定的启示意义。     

家庭环境对学前儿童情绪行为问题的影响:乐观和心理韧性的链式中介模型

采用家庭环境量表、自编乐观量表、心理韧性量表及优势和困难问卷对1109名学前儿童进行调查,探讨学前儿童的家庭环境特征对其情绪行为问题的影响及作用机制。结果表明:(1)学前儿童的家庭环境对其情绪行为问题有显著的负向预测作用;(2)学前儿童的乐观和心理韧性在其家庭环境与情绪行为问题关系中存在多重中介效应,总中介效果量为50.00%,其中通过乐观这一中介路径的中介效应量最大。     

流动儿童自卑与学习自我效能感的关系:情绪调节策略的调节作用

探讨流动儿童自卑对学习自我效能感中基本能力感与控制感的差别效应以及情绪调节策略在其中的调节作用。运用问卷法以730名流动儿童为被试,采用Bootstrap方法检验,结果显示:流动儿童情绪调节策略在自卑与学习自我效能感(基本能力感与控制感)关系中有调节作用。表达抑制在自卑与基本能力感、控制感关系中调节作用均显著,并且N-宣泄越高自卑对基本能力感的负向预测作用越强,P-宣泄越高自卑对控制感的负向预测作用越弱;认知重评仅在自卑与控制感关系中调节作用显著,P-重视越高自卑对控制感的负向预测作用越强,而N-重视越高自卑对控制感的负向预测作用越弱。     

父亲情绪表达与儿童社会适应:气质的调节作用

通过对341名学前儿童进行问卷调查和任务测查,考察了父亲情绪表达、儿童气质与儿童社会适应的关系。结果表明:(1)父亲积极情绪表达对儿童社会能力有正向预测作用;父亲消极情绪表达对儿童社会能力具有负向预测作用,而对外显、内隐行为问题有正向预测作用。(2)儿童的积极情绪性对其外显行为问题与社会能力均有显著正向预测作用;消极情绪性对其社会能力有负向预测作用,而对其外显行为问题有正向预测作用;儿童的努力控制对其外显行为问题有较强地负向预测作用,对其社会能力具有正向预测作用。(3)父亲情绪表达与儿童努力控制、消极情绪性对儿童社会适应有显著交互作用,父亲情绪表达对不同气质特点儿童的社会适应具有不同的预测作用。     

冲动性人格、亲子沟通对青少年网络成瘾的交互作用分析

本研究通过对1610名初一至高三学生的问卷调查,考察了冲动性人格、亲子沟通对青少年网络成瘾的交互影响。经过方差分析、相关分析和回归分析的结果表明：（1）与非网瘾青少年相比,网瘾倾向青少年的行动冲动性和无计划冲动性显著更高,与父亲和母亲的沟通都更差;（2）行动冲动性、认知冲动性和无计划冲动性均与青少年网络成瘾成显著正相关,而父子沟通和母子沟通均与青少年网络成瘾成显著负相关;（3）行动冲动性和无计划冲动性可正向预测青少年网络成瘾,但认知冲动性的预测作用不显著;母子沟通可负向预测青少年网络成瘾,但父子沟通的预测作用不显著;（4）行动冲动性和母子沟通对青少年网络成瘾存在交互影响,具体而言,对于低行动冲动性青少年而言,母子沟通对其网络成瘾具有显著的负向预测效应;但对于高行动冲动性青少年而言,母子沟通对其网络成瘾具有正向但不显著的预测作用。     

母亲元情绪理念与儿童情绪调节能力发展的关系：母亲情绪调节的中介作用

以540名小学一、三、五年级儿童的母亲为对象,采用回归分析和路径分析技术,考察了母亲元情绪理念及其情绪调节对儿童情绪调节能力发展的预测作用及其机制。结果表明：（1）母亲情绪教导和情绪紊乱理念对儿童情绪稳定性的发展具有直接预测作用,且以其高冲动性为中介对儿童情绪稳定性的发展具有间接预测作用;（2）母亲情绪教导理念对儿童情绪调节性的发展具有直接预测作用,且以其情绪调节策略缺乏为中介对儿童情绪调节性的发展具有间接预测作用。因此,母亲情绪教导理念有助于其不良情绪的控制和更加灵活多样的情绪调节策略,而对自身不良情绪的有效控制和更灵活的情绪应对策略,将有助于促进其孩子情绪调节能力的发展。     

早期情绪性对学前儿童问题行为和社交能力的影响

本研究拟考察早期各种情绪性成分及其交互作用对学前儿童问题行为和社交能力的影响。被试为299名儿童及其父母。母亲在儿童6和14个月时报告儿童的各种情绪性成分,父母在儿童48个月时分别报告儿童的问题行为和社交能力。结果发现：（1）6个月时的受限后沮丧和恐惧不能显著预测学前儿童的问题行为与社交能力,但14个月时的受限后沮丧能显著正向预测外显问题行为,恐惧能显著正向预测内隐问题行为,负向预测社交能力。6和14个月时的微笑/大笑均能显著正向预测社交能力。（2）在14个月时,恐惧能显著负向预测高受限后沮丧的学前儿童的社交能力,但不能显著预测低受限后沮丧的学前儿童的社交能力;在14个月时,恐惧能显著负向预测低微笑/大笑的学前儿童的社交能力,但不能显著预测高微笑/大笑的学前儿童的社交能力。     

幼儿情绪理解、情绪调节与其同伴接纳的关系

选取83名4岁幼儿,探讨他们的情绪理解、情绪调节与其同伴接纳的关系.采用表情识别任务、情绪观点采择任务测查幼儿的情绪理解能力,采用教师评定问卷测查幼儿的情绪调节策略,使用照片社会评价法测查幼儿被同伴接纳的程度.结果表明:在总体上,情绪观点采择与情绪调节策略有关,情绪调节策略与同伴接纳有关,情绪观点采择能力与同伴接纳的边缘正相关在控制年龄后消失了;年长组儿童的攻击策略能显著预测同伴接纳,年幼组儿童的情绪观点采择、攻击策略、建构性策略都与同伴接纳有关,但只有攻击策略、建构性策略能显著预测同伴接纳;年幼组儿童的情绪观点采择分别通过攻击策略、建构性策略两条路径间接影响了同伴接纳.研究结果为进一步了解学前儿童同伴接纳的个体差异来源提供了情绪能力方面的数据.     

Parental drinking problems and children's adjustment: vagal regulation and emotional reactivity as pathways and moderators of risk.

Children's emotional regulation (as indexed by vagal suppression) and children's emotional reactivity during an argument were examined as moderators and mediators of parental problem drinking and children's adjustment in a sample of 6- to 12-year-olds. Cardiac vagal tone was assessed during both a baseline condition and exposure to an audiotaped argument. Vagal suppression was calculated by subtracting vagal tone during the baseline from that recorded during the argument, with a higher number representing increased suppression of vagal tone during the argument. Emotional reactivity was based on both observations of overt behaviors of children and their reported feelings during the argument. A higher level of vagal suppression was a protective factor against children's externalizing, internalizing, and social problems associated with exposure to parental problem drinking. Emotional reactivity was a vulnerability factor, and children's increased anger and fear, and to a lesser degree sadness, each moderated and exacerbated the effects of parental problem drinking on child outcomes.     

Individual differences in vagal regulation moderate associations between daily affect and daily couple interactions

Previous research suggests that cardiac vagal regulation (indexed by respiratory sinus arrhythmia, or RSA) provides a physiological substrate for affect regulation, which presumably underlies adaptive interpersonal functioning.The authors tested these associations in the context of daily interactions between 68 cohabiting couples. Participants underwent a laboratory assessment of RSA during rest and also during a series of psychological stressors. Subsequently, they kept daily measures of affect and interaction quality for 21 days. Individual differences in baseline and stress levels of RSA moderated within-person associations between daily affect and the quality of couple interactions. The pattern of results differed for women versus men. Men with lower vagal tone or higher vagal reactivity had stronger associations between daily negative affect and daily negative interactions, and men with higher vagal tone had more positive daily interactions overall. Women with higher vagal tone had stronger associations between daily positive affect and daily positive interactions.     

Are Elevations in ADHD Symptoms Associated with Physiological Reactivity and Emotion Dysregulation in Children?

The present study examined whether children with elevated attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms display a unique pattern of emotion dysregulation as indexed by both parent report and physiological reactivity during experiences of failure. A sample of 61 children (9 to 13 years; M?=?11.62, SD?=?1.29; 48 % male) with and without clinical elevations in ADHD symptoms participated. Parent and teacher report of ADHD and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) symptoms and parent report of internalizing problems were collected. Parents also provided ratings of children’s emotional negativity/lability and emotion regulation. Children’s physiological reactivity, based on changes in respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and skin conductance level (SCL), were assessed while they completed a manipulated social rejection task and impossible puzzle task. Regression analyses indicated that ADHD symptoms were associated with higher parent-rated emotional negativity/lability and with blunted RSA withdrawal in response to social rejection; these effects were not accounted for by co-occurring ODD symptoms or internalizing problems. ODD symptoms also were uniquely associated with parent ratings of poor emotion regulation. Internalizing problems were uniquely associated with emotional negativity/lability, poor emotion regulation, and increased SCL activity in response to social rejection. Results suggest that there may be a pattern of emotion dysregulation that is specific to ADHD symptomatology. The importance of contextual factors when examining physiological reactivity to stress in youth with ADHD is discussed.     

Love alters autonomic reactivity to emotions

Periods of bond formation are accompanied by physiological and emotional changes, yet, little is known about the effects of falling in love on the individual's physiological response to emotions. We examined autonomic reactivity to the presentation of negative and positive films in 112 young adults, including 57 singles and 55 new lovers who began a romantic relationship 2.5 months prior to the experiment Autonomic reactivity was measured by Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia (RSA) to two baseline emotionally neutral films, two negative films, and two positive films. Results demonstrated that RSA in singles decreased during the presentation of negative emotions, indicating physiological stress response. However, no such decrease was found among new lovers, pointing to more optimal vagal regulation during the period of falling in love. Autonomic reactivity, indexed by RSA decrease from the positive to the negative films, was greater among singles as compared to lovers, suggesting that love buffers against autonomic stress and facilitates emotion regulation. Findings suggest that vagal regulation may be one mechanism through which love and attachment reduce stress and promote well-being and health.     

Parent Emotion Expression and Autonomic-Linked Emotion Dysregulation in Childhood ADHD

Despite evidence that ADHD is associated with disruptions in emotion regulation, few studies have examined the biological correlates of emotion dysregulation among children with this disorder. Prior work has pointed to roles of the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system, as indexed via respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and cardiac pre-ejection period (PEP), respectively. Work in typically developing populations suggests that parenting behavior and parental emotion expression may shape the development of these systems. To date, a single study has examined the independent and interactive roles of autonomic nervous system functioning and parent emotion expression in youth with ADHD. This study seeks to extend that work. 86 children (42 with ADHD), aged 8–12 years, and a parent completed a parent-child interaction task, while electrocardiography and impedance cardiography data were recorded to derive RSA and PEP. Parent and child emotion word use (positive and negative valence) were coded from recordings of the task. Parents of youth with ADHD used fewer positive emotion words throughout the task. Additionally, throughout the task, children with ADHD engaged in excessive RSA withdrawal from baseline. Further, the association between RSA reactivity and ADHD diagnosis was moderated by parent positive emotion word use. Specifically, those with RSA augmentation and parents displaying high positive affect across the task conditions were least likely to have an ADHD diagnosis. If replicated and extended, these results support the use of interventions specifically designed to increase parental modeling of positive emotions, while simultaneously focusing on building emotion regulation skills in youth with ADHD.     

Resilience and vagal tone predict cardiac recovery from acute social stress

Previous studies showed that heart period decreases during and recovers after an acute stress. We investigated if individual predispositions and emotional priming influence heart period recovery after a speech stress task. Psychometric scales and resting cardiac vagal tone were used to measure individual traits. The presentation of a sequence of either pleasant or unpleasant pictures, as emotional primers, preceded the speech stress. Heart period was measured throughout the experiment. Stress induced tachycardia irrespective of emotional priming or traits. In the recovery period, participants with higher resting cardiac vagal tone or presenting higher resilience significantly reduced the heart acceleration. Furthermore, these traits interacted synergistically in the promotion of the recovery of heart period. Pleasant priming also improved recovery for participants with lower negative affect. In conclusion, the stress recovery measured through heart period seemed dependent upon individual predispositions and emotional priming. These findings further strengthen previous observations on the association between greater cardiac vagal tone and the ability to regulate emotion.     

Physiology and functioning: Parents' vagal tone, emotion socialization, and children's emotion knowledge

This study examined relationships among parents’ physiological regulation, their emotion socialization behaviors, and their children’s emotion knowledge. Parents’ resting cardiac vagal tone was measured, and parents provided information regarding their socialization behaviors and family emotional expressiveness. Their 4- or 5-year-old children (N = 42) participated in a laboratory session in which their knowledge of emotional facial expressions and situations was tested and their own resting vagal tone was monitored. Results showed that parents’ vagal tone was related to their socialization behaviors, and several parent socialization variables were related to their children’s emotion knowledge. These findings suggest that parents’ physiological regulation may affect the emotional development of their children by influencing their parenting behaviors.     

Individual differences in trajectories of emotion regulation processes: the effects of maternal depressive symptomatology and children's physiological regulation

Trajectories of emotion regulation processes were examined in a community sample of 269 children across the ages of 4 to 7 using hierarchical linear modeling. Maternal depressive symptomatology (Symptom Checklist-90) and children's physiological reactivity (respiratory sinus arrhythmia [RSA]) and vagal regulation (Delta RSA) were explored as predictors of individual differences in trajectories of emotion regulation and negativity (mother-reported Emotion Regulation Checklist; A. M. Shields & D. Cicchetti, 1997). In addition, the authors explored whether children's physiological regulation would moderate the effect of maternal depressive symptomatology on children's emotion regulation trajectories. Results indicated that over time, emotion regulation increased whereas negativity decreased, though considerable individual variability in the pattern of change was observed. Greater maternal depressive symptomatology was associated with less steep emotion regulation trajectories. There was a significant Maternal Depressive Symptomatology x Baseline RSA x Age interaction predicting emotion regulation trajectories. Overall, it appears that the development of emotion regulation over time is compromised when mothers report greater depressive symptomatology. There is also evidence that children's capacity for physiological regulation can buffer some of the adverse consequences associated with maternal depressive symptomatology.     

Emotion Regulation via the Autonomic Nervous System in Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Despite growing interest in conceptualizing ADHD as involving disrupted emotion regulation, few studies have examined the physiological mechanisms related to emotion regulation in children with this disorder. This study examined parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system reactivity via measures of respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and cardiac pre-ejection period (PEP) in children with ADHD (n = 32) and typically developing controls (n = 34), using a novel emotion task with four conditions: negative induction, negative suppression, positive induction, and positive suppression of affect. Both groups showed strong task-response effects in RSA. However, typically developing children showed systematic variation in parasympathetic activity (RSA) depending on both emotion valence (more activation for negative emotion, reduced activation for positive emotion) and task demand (more activation for suppression than induction). In contrast, children with ADHD displayed a stable pattern of elevated parasympathetic activity (RSA) across all task conditions compared to baseline. No group differences in sympathetic activity (PEP) were observed. It is concluded ADHD in childhood is associated with abnormal parasympathetic mechanisms involved in emotion regulation.